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Friday March 15 2013

IT’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY WEEKEND AND STATE POLICE AND PENNDOT ARE URGING MOTORISTS TO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. EXTRA POLICE PATROLS ARE PLANNED ALL WEEKEND ALONG WITH D-U-I CHECKPOINTS. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY PENNDOT DATA, LAST YEAR ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY IN PENNSYLVANIA THERE WERE 61 ALCOHOL-RELATED CRASHES RESULTING IN 3 FATALITIES.

THE STATE POLICE BUREAU OF LIQUOR CONTROL ENFORCEMENT PLANS TO CONDUCT DETAILS OVER THE ST. PATRICK’S DAY WEEKEND AT AND AROUND ST. FRANCIS UNIVERSITY IN LORETTO. THEY’LL BE LOOKING FOR UNDERAGE DRINKERS, FAKE I-DS, AND THOSE WHO FURNISH ALCOHOL TO MINORS.

LOOKING FOR CLUES IN COLD CASE

STATE POLICE IN BLAIR COUNTY ARE STILL INVESTIGATING THE 1987 DEATH OF A BABY. SO-CALLED BABY DOE WAS FOUND IN THE BACKYARD OF A RESIDENCE IN ANTIS TOWNSHIP ON FEBRUARY 5TH. THE BODY HAD BEEN PLACED IN A GREEN GARBAGE BAG AND THROWN IN A DUMP. THE MOTHER AND FATHER HAVE NEVER BEEN IDENTIFIED. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION SHOULD CALL TROOPERS AT 696-61-HUNDRED.

ALZHEIMER’S PATIENT WRECKS CAR

STATE COLLEGE POLICE TELL THE CENTRE DAILY TIMES THAT AN ELDERLY WOMAN SUFFERING FROM ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE WAS MISSING FOR SEVERAL HOURS WEDNESDAY AFTER SHE WANDERED AWAY FROM THE FAIRWAYS NURSING HOME, DROVE OFF IN AN UNLOCKED CAR, AND THEN CRASHED THE VEHICLE IN THE PARKING LOT OF MOUNT NITTANY MEDICAL CENTER. THE WOMAN WAS TREATED AT THE HOSPITAL.

STUDENT CHARGED WITH RAPE

A STUDENT AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH RAPING A WOMAN AT AN OFF-CAMPUS RESIDENCE LAST FRIDAY. 19-YEAR-OLD TAYLOR GROFF OF CONESTOGA IS FREE ON BOND PENDING A PRELIMINARY HEARING APRIL 4TH. A CAMPUS SPOKESWOMAN SAYS GROFF WILL FACE THE UNIVERSITY’S DISCIPLINARY PROCESS AS WELL.

SANDUSKY SCANDAL

THE PENN STATE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETS IN HERSHEY TODAY AND OVER 30 FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYERS HAVE REGISTERED TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PERIOD. THEY QUESTION THE BOARD’S ACTIONS SINCE THE SANDUSKY SCANDAL BROKE AND THE FIRING OF JOE PATERNO. BOARD MEMBER ANTHONY LUBRANO SAYS HE WILL UPDATE TRUSTEES ON HIS PLAN TO INVITE FORMER FBI DIRECTOR LOUIS FREEH TO SPEAK BEFORE THE BOARD DURING ITS MAY MEETING. THE BOARD WILL ALSO VOTE ON THE PROPOSED 1-POINT-9 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE ROOM AND BOARD RATE THAT WOULD TAKE EFFECT NEXT FALL.

GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT AND STATE TREASURER ROB MCCORD HAVE ASKED A FEDERAL COURT TO DISMISS THE NCAA LAWSUIT AIMED AT GETTING RID OF A PENNSYLVANIA LAW THAT CALLS FOR PENN STATE’S 60-MILLION DOLLARS IN FINES TO STAY IN OUR STATE. THEIR ARGUMENT CITES 2 PENDING LAWSUITS… CORBETT’S ANTI-TRUST SUIT AGAINST THE ORGANIZATION TO GET THE FINE OVERTURNED…AND SENATOR JAKE CORMAN’S SUIT AGAINST THE NCAA WHICH IS OVER THEIR DISTRIBUTION OF THE MONEY.

PENN STATE TRUSTEE KEN FRAZIER IS DISMISSING THE PATERNO REPORT AND DOES NOT BELIEVE THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD RE-INVESTIGATE THE FREEH REPORT, WHICH COST PENN STATE MORE THAN 8 MILLION DOLLARS. FRAZIER LED THE TASK FORCE TO SELECT LOUIS FREEH AND HE SAYS THE PATERNO FAMILY’S REPORT WAS NOT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION AND DOES NOT OFFER ANY NEW FACTS. FRAZIER TOLD A BOARD CANDIDATE YESTERDAY THAT THE BOARD “CAN TAKE EMPLOYMENT ACTIONS AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WITHOUT ANY NEED TO RESORT TO THE SO-CALLED DUE PROCESS, REASONABLE DOUBT STANDARD.”

THE PENN STATE BOARD OF TRUSTEES COULD VOTE IN MAY TO REVOKE THE VOTING POWER OF THE UNIVERSITY’S PRESIDENT AND THE GOVERNOR. A COMMITTEE ON GOVERNANCE MET YESTERDAY AND RECOMMENDED THAT THEY NO LONGER BE ALLOWED TO VOTE. FORMER AUDITOR GENERAL JACK WAGNER ALSO MADE THAT PROPOSAL IN A REPORT LATE LAST YEAR.

SCAM ALERT

STATE COLLEGE POLICE SAY A CON ARTIST TRIED A KIDNAPPING SCAM ON WEDNESDAY. THE SUSPECT CALLED A LOCAL RESIDENT AND SAID A FAMILY MEMBER HAD BEEN BEATEN AND KIDNAPPED FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT AND THE RELATIVE WOULD BE KILLED UNLESS 15-HUNDRED DOLLARS WAS WIRED IMMEDIATELY FOR CAR REPAIRS. THE SCAMMER APPEARED TO BE READING OFF A BASIC SCRIPT AND POLICE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE SO-CALLED VICTIM AND CONFIRM THAT HE WAS SAFE. THEY ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE SUSPECT WAS CALLING FROM PUERTO RICO USING A PREPAID CELL PHONE.

PARENTS FIGHT TO SAVE SCHOOL

PARENTS OPPOSED TO THE CLOSING OF ALTOONA’S WRIGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL MEET TOMORROW AT 5 AT COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH AT 14-20 4TH STREET. THE GROUP “PARENTS ENCOURAGING AND COMMUNITY SUPPORTING EDUCATION” OR “PEACE” IS ALSO ASKING SUPPORTERS TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AT 6:15PM MONDAY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL…AND THEY WANT STUDENTS TO DRAW PICTURES AND SUBMIT LETTERS TO THE BOARD. A FACEBOOK PAGE HAS ALSO BEEN SET UP.